About Us

Founded in 2005, KEEN St. Louis is a volunteer-led, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and is an affiliate of KEEN USA headquartered in Washington, DC. KEEN St. Louis' local Board of Directors is comprised of community leaders, parents and volunteers with the purpose of overseeing the operation and ensuring that it remains true to KEEN’s mission: providing free recreational opportunities to children and young adults with disabilities by pairing them with trained volunteers for fun, noncompetitive activities.

KEEN is modeled on an innovative program established in Oxford, England by Elliott Portnoy, who brought KEEN to the Washington, DC area in 1992. With help from a handful of parents and volunteers, KEEN started as a single program. Now, because of our careful attention to the needs of our athletes and their families, and our volunteers, KEEN serves hundreds of young people with disabilities and offers a wide range of programs and activities.